Flowers and Willows
by RosesToPaint
Summary: On her quest to jounin promotion Tenten faces an unlikely problem: She keeps failing the undercover part of the Exam because she can't pass herself off as feminine enough. Gai-sensei's solution goes, as always, way overboard.
1. Chapter 1

I have been attacked by plot bunnies. This is the result.  
For more information about my stories, and the occasional snippets about world building and culture, please follow me on tumblr. The link is on my profile.

* * *

[karyuukai]

* * *

"It's you."

The old woman's finger finds her with unerring accuracy.

"You're the ninja girl."

Tenten wilts. The proctor beckons her away from the civilian extras behind which she's been desperately trying to hide for the past five minutes.

"This is the third time, Tenten-san," the man reminds her with a sigh. "The third time! And you haven't even gotten past Hana-obaa-san."

"I know," she whines, for once unable to help it. "I don't know what I'm doing wrong."

She flaps the sleeves of her kimono at him, as if trying to emphasize her absolute civilian-ness. Three failed Jounin Exams. Sure, a lot of chuunins failed just as often – but they usually gave up and _stayed_ chuunin. Tenten kicks off her geta and wipes away her lipstick.

"I even went to Suzume-sensei – you know, that fussy lady who does the kunoichi classes in the Academy? The one with the makeup ant the …"

She trails off with a vague gesture to her face and a grimace. The proctor sighs at her. His name is Hiro-san – she knows that by now. Dear god, she knows _all_ the proctors by name.

"Maybe," Hiro suggests, "you should think about ... other options."

"Give up, you mean," she bleats at him. "No way. I'm not a quitter."

"Not giving up," he disagrees delicately, " _cutting your losses_."

And then a little more wryly, "Before you really embarrass yourself."

"Ojo-chan, I really got to agree," the Hana-obaa joins in, ignoring the civilian women tittering in the background. "You, my darling, have all the grace of a rampaging bull. And also – a lady doesn't wear lipstick. You're not an oiran, are you?"

Hiro's cough sounds suspiciously like a laugh.

"There's no shame in that," the woman continues, either oblivious or dismissive of how the civilian girls are now outright laughing in a very unladylike fashion. "You're a great fighter, aren't you? I heard the boys talking about it, isn't that right, shinobi-san?"

She pats Hiro's arm fondly.

"Some just aren't made to be ladies."

Despite her embarrassment Tenten has to agree. She's not a lady. Never has been, never will be – and that's fine by her. She finds all those tea ceremonies and the makeup and the clothes boring, pretentious, and unnecessary.

And yet.

"But I want to be a _jounin_."

* * *

"It's ridiculous," she tells Neji over tea. "If there was a war I would have already been promoted, no problem."

"But there is no war," her teammate points out calmly. "And so you failed."

She glowers at him. Most of the time Tenten appreciates Neji being her sounding board. He's good at pointing out the obvious and bringing her back down to earth if she gets too excited about crap. But he's also an asshole that severely lacks tact.

"So what do I do then? I refuse to be stuck with courier missions for the rest of my life."

"You could become an Academy teacher."

There is a moment of profound silence. Then Neji averts his gaze, hiding his face behind his teacup, and Tenten starts to laugh.

* * *

She's disappointed, supremely so.

The problem is not having to take the Exam again. No, she's always been tenacious; she can deal with doing the same shit over and over again. It's more the looks she's been getting – a mix of pity and snideness. Hiro was right, she's embarrassed herself. 'Some people just don't know when to quit,' she heard some stupid chuunin say. As if that girl had a right to judge her. And then she remembers that _she_ 's a stupid chuunin, too.

So, yes, things aren't going so well. The next Exam is six months away; she could try taking it again. But she still kind of walks like a man and snorts when she laughs, so maybe it is time to let things go. Wait for another war, maybe. Ugh – damn that Naruto.

But if there's one thing Gai-sensei has taught her, aside from the fact that physical pain is all in your head and that blood comes out of spandex with baking soda, it's that quitting is never an option. And so the next time she sees him, by coincidence, on his upside-down morning run, she's overcome by a wave of guilt and shame.

"Sensei!" she wails, throwing herself at the man and tumbling them both to the floor. "I'm so sorry!"

"Tenten, youthful flower of my life!" he cries, completely unaffected by the knee she's somehow shoved into his face. "Your poker face is excellent, but your Sensei can somehow sense that something s troubling you!"

She grunts in agreement, carefully trying to crawl off him without hitting him in the face again.

"I failed the Jounin Exams. Again. And I think I'm going to quit because people are already laughing at me."

"No –don't give up!"

He grabs her hands, and she can see the fire of youth igniting in his eyes. Oh sheesh, that's going to take a while.

"Hard work overcomes even the biggest of hurdles! Do not let what others say dictate your passion – they do not know any better, you need to teach them about the burning youth –"

Oh yes. Another thing Gai-sensei has taught her: How to let things go in one ear and out the other. Sooner or later he's going to run out of steam; then she'll try and get a word in edgewise.

" – youth –"

" – perseverance –"

" – against all odds –"

" – … and that's why you shouldn't give up!"

She claps politely.

"Yeah, Sensei – but do you have any idea how I can pull that off?"

"But why, Tenten! You do the only thing you can do when you reach your limits: You seek a master to teach you!"

Then he leans down to her as if telling her quite a great secret.

"Between you and me, this field of expertise is beyond me. I'm afraid the youthful flower of femininity does not bloom in this field of masculinity."

Tenten affects an outraged gasp.

"But Sensei! Didn't you just tell me never to give up?"

"I believe the world will forgive me, for I do not look quite as fetching in a kimono as you do."

Snickering she stretches out in the dirt. A master of femininity, huh? It's not as if she hasn't tried that. And Suzume-sensei told her very clearly not to come back. There's Hinata-chan. But the poor girl has no idea how to teach her something she's been doing instinctively all her life. She's already tried talking to Ino-san and Sakura-san, but the girls were no help either. So what to do? Who could possibly be better suited to teach her than a teacher even?

"Ne, Gai-sensei? Who's the most feminine person you know?"

There's a teahouse not far from the Academy. It's not very big, but, despite the somewhat inconvenient location, rather busy. Tenten has never been there; chiefly because she had no idea that it existed. But even if she had, chances are that she'd never have stepped foot inside, because it is apparently a place frequented by clan people.

The teahouses she usually visits are always filled with laughter and the chattering of teenagers. Here conversation is but a quiet hum, accompanied by the soft clanging of teacups. Even Gai-sensei seems to dim a little as they enter, and Tenten tries to imitate him, softening her footsteps and trying to make herself look a little smaller. Her teacher leads her past groups of Hyuuga, Aburame, and the occasional Nara clansmen. There are more people that she can't place, but all in all the clientele here seems rather high society.

They follow the clanging of the shamisen to a table deep inside the teahouse. She can see no stage where it might come from, but then Gai-sensei takes a table and she realizes that they are right next to the musician.

It's a young woman, maybe a few years older than her. There's nothing particularly special about her; her kimono is simple, her hair long and straight, and she's not wearing makeup. But there's something about her. Something in the way she's holding herself, something in her expression maybe. Her eyes are half-lidded as she plays and the only sign that she's seen Gai-sensei motioning her over is an almost imperceptible nod and a smile.

For a few long moments they just sit there and listen. The song ends on an almost dissonant _clang_. There is no applause and the woman doesn't look as if she's expecting any. She puts the shamisen carefully aside, brings her sleeves in order, and rises carefully – upright, proud, and smooth, like a bunraku puppet being pulled up by a string. She hardly has to take two steps to their table, but even so Tenten can see the difference between this woman and herself.

"Good evening," the woman says in a gentle, cultured voice.

"Good evening," Gai-sensei beams at her. "Tenten – this is Omine-san. Omine-san – my student."

"Ohh?"

The woman claps her hands together in enthusiasm.

"Is that so? How lovely! Gai-san, you have never brought your students with you before – shame on you."

She covers her mouth to giggle, and even though she is chiding him, it all sounds so very charming that even Tenten has to grin.

"Aw no," she tells Omine, "it's not his fault. We're barbarians; can't take us anywhere."

"Don't let Neji hear you say that! You know the flames of his youth are easily ignited."

Tenten snorts.

"Neji-kun knows it's the truth. Lee-kun and I are tactless because we don't know any better; Neji-kun is just an assh-"

She breaks off, throwing Omine a wide-eyed look. But the woman is smiling at her as if she's the funniest thing ever, so Tenten leans over to her in a stage whisper.

" _He's a Hyuuga_ ," she says, as if that explains everything.

Which, frankly, it does. Omine covers her face with her hands to laugh. There are enough Hyuuga sitting around the teahouse; chances are the woman knows exactly what Tenten means. She takes a moment to muster the Omine. Black hair, dark eyes, a wide nose, and small lips. Omine is not particularly pretty. Not like Sakura with her lovely hair, or Ino with her striking features, or even the Hyuuga sisters with their traditionally beautiful looks and _their huge racks_. She looks normal. Like Tenten.

But her hair is very glossy, and her skin very clear. She looks neater, more sharply defined somehow, than anyone she has ever seen. As if someone had drawn on all of Omine's features with black ink and a very fine brush. Her demeanor is not overtly different either; she simply seems animated and personable without being attention grabbing. Genuine; that's the word.

"So this is the most feminine person you know," she blurts out, startling a wry look and – surprisingly – a blush out of her teacher. Gai-sensei gives Omine a sitting half-bow.

"I apologize, youthful Omine-san! I had an ulterior motive introducing my most fierce student to you!"

'Most fierce', huh? Maybe she is. Lee is certainly enthusiastic, but much too happy-go-lucky to be fierce. Neji is simply bull-headed.

"Is that so?" Omine enquires mildly, apparently not offended, but rather curious. Tenten nods emphatically.

"You see, I'm actually trying to get promoted. But there's a problem."

Omine raises her eyebrows in question.

"Indeed? How unfortunate! But how could I possibly help a ninja, Tenten-san?"

For a moment both ninjas fidget.

"I'm not feminine enough," Tenten finally bleats, more or less supporting her claim right away. "I need to pass myself off as a civilian woman, a geisha, and an oiran. But I can't even make a civilian old lady think that I'm a civilian."

She hangs her head in shame. Of course Omine will already have noticed how inadequate she is. She can't even call herself a good ninja if she can't take undercover missions – Tenten is a _mediocre_ ninja. Omine folds her hands together.

"Oh dear. So you came to me for help? Is there no such thing as ninja classes for this sort of problem?"

Tenten can feel the heat rising in her cheeks.

"Yes … she told me never to come back."

There's a moment of uncomfortable silence before Gai-sensei clears his throat.

"And since I know that Omine-san is a geisha, I thought maybe you could pass your knowledge onto my youthful student. It would be such a shame if Tenten would be held back because there is no teacher to shine their passionate light of knowledge onto her!"

"I see, I see."

Omine taps her cheek in consideration.

"I'm afraid I cannot help you. I am retired –I have two children and a husband to care for, as well as a teahouse to run. But! –" she wiggles a finger at Tenten's disappointed face, "- if you are really serious, I can contact my former okaa-san. My old okiya is not too far from here."

For a moment Tenten stares at her in a strange mixture of gut wrenching relief and horror.

"Beautiful! Perfekt! Magnificient!" Gai-sensei cheers, before remembering to reign in his voice. "Omine-san, we owe you deeply! The fire of your youth is lighting the way for a lost soul!"

I'm not even sure if I want that, Tenten doesn't say. Right now she's still caught in a state of incredulous terror. She has no doubt that her thoughts are written all over her face; Gai-sensei merely likes to ignore such things. But Omine looks at her very earnestly.

"It is not going to be easy. It will be hard. But it will also be rewarding, and I have no doubt that Fujiha-dono can beat good manners into just about anyone. If this is really what you want, she _can_ help you."

"This is what I want," Tenten croaks. "It scares the hell out of me, but if that's what it takes … I'm not a quitter."

Omine's grim look softens into a smile.

"That's good. Very good. I will write her immediately."

"Please do. I promise I won't embarrass you, Omine-san."

* * *

"A geisha. You?"

"Yes. So what?

The silence tastes a little different then it usually does. And then Neji throws back his head and laughs.

* * *

[karyuukai]

* * *

Geisha = an entertainer

Oiran = a high-class prostitute

Okiya = the place where a geisha is educated and lives

Okaasan (Okaa-san) = the okiya's owner who manages the geishas


	2. Chapter 2

Next chapter! I love Tenten because she's just such a no-fuss girl. There are no debilitating crushes, no dramatic hair cutting, and no watch-me-kick-ass-in-this-totally-unspectacular-fashion-moments.

She fails really hard once (Temari), but no one makes a big deal about it, including herself. Not like Sakura who keeps angsting about one thing or another throughout the series.

* * *

[karyuukai]

* * *

She swears Neji to silence. Gai-sensei has already promised to keep quiet; if not for her, then for Omine who can't have dozens of girls badgering her for help.

For days Tenten packs and unpacks and re-packs her bag, half hoping that Fujiha-san will still say no. But almost exactly two weeks after meeting Omine a genin knocks onto her door.

"Important message for shinobi 012573, Tenten-san."

He rummages in his bag and pulls out a scroll and a note.

"Here you go!"

She waves him off distractedly, already unfolding the note. Omine's writing is in neat, small font.

 _Tenten-san,_

 _Enclosed the letter I received from Fujiha-dono._

 _I wish you much success and all the best._

 _Omine_

There is a rough sketch below; directions to Fujiha's okiya.

The scroll is adorned by a simple seal: a wisteria leaf in green ink. When Tenten unfolds it she is greeted with a much more ornamental script.

 _Omine-san,_

 _I hope you and your family are well. It is unusual for you to ask for such a favor, so I will consider it important. Please send the girl to us as soon as is convenient; we will expect her from today onward._

 _As the training of a geisha is expensive, as you surely remember, her earnings at a later time will have to be retained by the okiya. Food and board will be provided as is custom._

…

The rest of the letter is filled with enquiries about Omine's teahouse and well-wishes, and followed by a lovely calligraphy of Fujiha's name. At the very bottom there is a formal stamp.

From 'today' onward. The letter must have taken at least a week to get to Konoha. In theory she could leave right now. The thought makes her nervous. I want this, she reminds herself, this is all for my promotion. She just needs to keep in mind that this is nothing but a different sort of training. Tenten can do training. She races into her bedroom to get a pen and paper, to write a quick note for her team.

'Answer was yes, going right now. Don't worry, I'll be fine; if necessary I can take a geisha in a fight. – Tenten'

Then she storms out of the door, rushing for the Hokage Tower. She needs a leave of absence _now_ , before she chickens out.  
At the mission desk she's greeted with chaos. Two chuunin are rushing stacks of papers back and forth, and somewhere off in the distance Tenten can hear Sakura throwing a fit.

"Eh," she says.

Izumo at the desk casts her a wry look.

"Ignore them. It's been a bad day – and it's barely noon. What is it?"

"I need a leave of absence. Like, right now. How do I do that? I've never been on vacation before that wasn't mandatory …"

Izumo snorts.

"Right now?"

"A.s.a.p."

"You chose the right time, I'm telling you. Usually you'd have to clear that with Tsunade-sama, but …"

He gives a helpless shrug and looks around the office, as if the Godaime Hokage might pop out from somewhere behind the shelves.

"Tsunade-sama? Am I hearing that someone needs Tsunade-sama?"

Shizune comes bursting in, dodging office chuunin left and right. She looks frazzled, more so than usual.

"I'll do it, whatever it is. What is it?"

"Immediate leave of absence," Izumo informs her, sounding as if Tenten were asking for something truly dirty and shameful. She throws him an annoyed look. Seriously.

"All right, ok, granted!"

Both ninjas stare at her.

"J-just like that?" Tenten can't help but ask.

The jounin throws her a wild look.

"Yes! Izumo-san, stop staring, start stamping!"

The chuunin lunges for the appropriate stamps, expression caught somewhere between hilarity and fear as Shizune stomps off, already calling for her kohai.

"Ouch," Izumo comments, slowing down tremendously as soon as the kunoichi is out of sight. "Someone's having a bad day."

Tenten snickers.

"Isn't she always? Well, you heard her; get cracking Izumo-san."

On the way back home she slides her note under Gai-sensei's door. There is a sound of a few traps snapping shut, but she's well acquainted with her teammates' security measures by now; the worst that could have happened to her note is that it's been pinned to the wall by a shower of senbon. She checks her watch. It's Saturday, so the jounin should be off looking for his eternal rival. As he does every week at this time. That should give her at least two hours to get out of the village quietly and without a fuss. Longer even, if Kakashi-senpai feels inclined to let Gai-sensei find him.

She does feel a little bad about vanishing without a word, but the thought of suffering through one of Lee and Gai-sensei's tear filled good-bye parties and listening to Neji laugh at her a little more sounds far more unappealing that just sneaking out for a few weeks. So she grabs her bags, packed with simple clothes, scrolls, and a whole lot of food, and heads for the gates.

Thankfully she knows none of the guards posted, so she can simply show them her permission to leave, sign her name into a little red notebook, and head out.

* * *

The town's name is Honbuchi. It's in the north-west of fire country, about three days of travel away by ninja speed, and a reasonably big town. By far the biggest civilian settlement Tenten has ever seen in any case. The Hanamachi is easy enough to find. She simply asks the passersby; this is obviously a tourist town because nobody seems to find a stranger suspicious at all.

The directions on Omine's note are surely well-meant, but for all her talents, an artist that woman is not. Tenten gets lost twice even in the Hanamachi itself. Only asking again, this time specifically for Fujiha-dono's okiya, finally brings her to the door of Omine's former okaasan.

She feels terribly self-conscious all of a sudden, just as she's raising her hand to knock. After three days on the move she is dirty and smells like old sweat and musk. It's never mattered to her before. After all she's a shinobi; usually Gai-sensei, Lee or, Neji would be with her, too. Sometimes even all of them. There'd be a job to do and she'd think 'Does it matter if I smell? There'll be time to clean up later. I'm a ninja, I sweat.'

Ninja, teammate, student. That's what she is. Not always in that order, but the place of 'woman' on that list never changes: far, far down on the very bottom. It's just one of these things to her. I fell down a flight of stairs last week, I forgot to hang up the washing today, and oh – I turned out a girl 19 years ago. Secondary. Tertiary. Doesn't-even-figure-iary.

But right now she feels like a very dirty, very flawed, and completely inadequate _girl_. Her hair is falling in her face, coming loose of its usual buns. There's dirt under her nails. Her clothes are wrinkled; she thinks there might even be holes in it. Right now she doesn't even know for sure what underwear she's wearing, or if she's remembered to clean the chipped polish off her toe nails.

Her knuckles hit wood.

There's a moment of silence in which Tenten has time to regret every choice she's ever made in her entire life that lead her here. Then the door opens.

Fujiha has a handsome face. She is already an elderly lady, but well-groomed and smiling pleasantly. She takes in Tenten's appearance; her rumpled clothes, her dirty hands, her apprehensive face.

"Ah. So you are the girl Omine-san is sending us?"

"Uh, yeah."

Fujiha's smile never wavers, but her eyes turn flinty.

"I see. That is 'Yes, Okaasan' to you. Come inside, quickly. I will not have people seeing you standing in front of our door … the way you are."

Fujiha ushers her in, quickly closing the door on any nosy onlooker. It's surprisingly roomy inside. There are candles flickering in the corner and several kimonos are hung on wide racks around the room. But they don't stop there. Instead Fujiha opens a door that leads into a small garden. Tenten has but a moment to take in how the okiya wraps around the small stone yard, before the okaasan whips her around.

"Strip," the woman orders. "Now. I will not let you into the bath tracking dirt all over the house. Hana!"

A girl comes scurrying outside.

"Yes, Fujiha-dono?"

"Get the bucket and a sponge."

So while Tenten strips, a little too bewildered to refuse, Hana brings a sponge from inside and draws water from the small well at the center of the garden. The first bucket is unceremoniously tipped over Tenten's head. Tenten doesn't shriek. The water is ice cold, but she refuses to make a sound; she's a kunoichi for god's sake. Fujiha seems unreasonably pleased about this and hands her the sponge. With a wheeze Hana sets down the next bucket in front of her.

"Scrub yourself," Fujiha instructs, "then come inside. Leave your clothes. Hana will take care of them."

Said girl gives a bow and both women disappear inside. Tenten stares at the bucket. What a nice welcome, she thinks wryly. This is the equivalent of hosing off a dog before taking it inside. She is being puppy-hosed. Walled in by the okiya itself there is no breeze in the garden, but the water is rapidly cooling down her body. A burst of chakra warms her back up a little, but it would be a good idea to get this over with. Maybe someone would at least feed her some treats then.

She starts scrubbing.

* * *

Inside she's hurried to a proper bathroom.

"Wash out your hair," Fujiha instructs. "And take a bath. We usually take baths in the evening, but I will make an exception this once."

It's a traditional style bath. Tenten has only ever seen those on the rare occasion she dared to go to the public baths. But sharing space like that makes her paranoia kick into overdrive and that tends to ruin the relaxing atmosphere; usually she prefers the privacy of her own, modern style one. She does, thankfully, know who to use one though, so she grabs the stool and takes her time sorting out her hair.

Tenten undoes the buns and her hair unravels nearly to the floor. It needs a trim. The failed exams have clearly taken their toll on her too, because several long strands simply come out with the hair ties. Stress, she thinks morosely. The one thing she actively likes about being a woman, and somehow she still manages to ruin that.

At some point Hana knocks onto the door.

"I have clothes," she says, "and a comb."

For a moment Tenten waits, thinking that the girl will hand them to her, but no such thing happens. The door stays closed. Maybe she left it outside for her to get? But no, Hana is patiently sitting outside the door, waiting for her.

"I apologize," she says, giving a polite little sitting bow. "Fujiha-dono thinks I should help you with this."

She motions to the clothes sitting innocently next to her, and Tenten realizes it's a kimono. Not pants and a shirt, or even a yukata. A kimono. Her face must have shown her horror all too clearly, because Hana giggles.

"No need to worry, you get used to it. I will help you until you can do it yourself."

Hana, too, is dressed in a kimono. The girl hands her a long white robe first. Tenten stares at it.

"Put it on," the girl encourages. "What is it?

"Yeah," Tenten echoes. " _What is it_? I've never seen something like this before."

This time Hana looks startled.

"What do you usually wear under your kimono?"

"I've only ever worn a kimono once. I was nine and my teacher forced me. But we wore pants and shirts under it."

Hana clicks her tongue.

"This is a hadajuban, the proper underwear. And this, too."

And so Tenten is wrangled into piece after piece of fabric.

"I feel pretty dressed now," she says at some point, looking down on the light colored fabric covering her head to toe. "There are so many belts. And wraps."

Hana laughs.

"Please promise me not to try and greet guests this way. Turn around."

She drapes the kimono over Tenten, tugging, and aligning, and wrapping yet another belt around her middle. For a moment Tenten wonders how it's possible that not all undercover missions in kimonos crash and burn. Her breathing has turned strangely shallow, so much fabric pressed hard against her that she starts to feel a little claustrophobic in her own skin. It's distracting and she can't imagine running in this, let alone fighting.

"Are you training to be a geisha?" she asks Hana, out of curiosity as much as the need to distract herself.

"No, no," the girl demurs. "I'm just the maid servant; I'm not really made to entertain polite company. Fujiha-dono has to scold me a lot as it is."

If she's already scolding you, Tenten thinks a little panicky, then what's she going to do with me?

"So there."

Hana inspects her handy work with a pleased expression.

"Now we just have to comb out that hair of yours and then you can go see Fujiha-dono."

Under Hana's quick fingers Tenten's hair concedes defeat. It's efficiently combed clear of all tangles and put into two neat braids.

"See?" the girl chirps happily, "You already look like a proper shikomi."

She holds up a mirror, just big enough to show the collar of this person's kimono. Whoever this person is. Because that's not her. That looks nothing like her, except for the weirded out expression. With her hair braided Tenten looks like one of the merchant daughters that run around Konoha – a proper civilian. The kimono looks nice, admittedly. But it still feels foreign and a little as if she's lost her battle armor. Even thought, with all that fabric, she's arguably better padded now should someone decide to kick her in the gut.

She wants to say 'wow', just so that Hana will keep smiling proudly the way she is, but all that comes out is an apprehensive 'whuuuu…'. Hana's smile doesn't even waver; instead it gains a sympathetic quirk.

"You will get used to it," she repeats. "For now believe me that it looks very respectable."

Tenten has never looked respectable a day in her life. Frightening, yes. Competent, also. A little pretty, occasionally. But never 'respectable'. That would certainly explain the unfamiliar feeling. She tries for a smile, and that person's lips quirk up in a funny fashion. Yeah, no. No smiling until she feels it.

"Come on," Hana coaxes. "Let's go see Fujiha-dono now. Maybe then we can get you something to eat."

* * *

[karyuukai]

* * *

Shikomi = first stage of geisha training

Hadajuban = a dress like undergarment; there is a row of traditional undergarments for kimonos that partly have been exchanged for more practical ones

okiya = the most widely spread layout was a square ring with a garden of some sort in the middle.


End file.
